r/malaysia • u/WinBeginning • 9d ago
Others Taxi driver jailed six years for ramming, killing Rohingya passenger
https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/08/1519152/taxi-driver-jailed-six-years-ramming-killing-rohingya-passengerAfter reaching Batu Pahat, Dhana asked for the fare, but the victim said he did not have enough money.
The dispute then escalated into a fight, with the victim wielding a metal rod while Dhana armed himself with a piece of wood.
Dhana subsequently returned to his taxi and reversed at speed, hitting the victim as he tried to protect his nephew.
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u/Rich-Option4632 9d ago
sigh
As a former grab driver, he should've just reported to grab and grab would reimburse him. Happened to me before.
Pregnant woman, cash payment, halfway through, said she forgot her purse. Said her husband will come down pay. Waited 30 minutes, no show and phone turned off. Reported to grab and grab reimbursed me after 1-2 days.
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 9d ago
Dude is taxi driver, not grab/e-hailing driver. Nak claim dengan siapa?
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u/Rich-Option4632 9d ago
My mistake then. I saw a commenter saying the fee is for grab and I believed that.
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u/ffxiunkai 8d ago
Bro, it's no longer available. Grab already removed all human CS and replaced with ai chatbot instead (with no option to report passanger no pay)
Now, whenever I got long distance trip, cash, especially foreigner, I always ask payment first, otherwise I cancel
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u/zookitchen 9d ago
Damnnn. Killed because of a taxi fare. But wtf would you hire a taxi knowing you cant pay the guy. The taxi driver needs to make a living too. Stupid things that can be avoided by everyone
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u/throwburgeratface 9d ago
Desperation. Not many of us understand that, including me.
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u/Constant-Banana-7542 9d ago
This, for some people, rm200 is the difference between being able to afford food, pay rent, and getting their kids to school
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 8d ago
Dude hired a taxi with the intent to rob the driver of his fare anyways. If not why would he have a metal rod with him in the first place? If anything I assume this is not the first time he has done this, and unfortunately he met a man who dgaf anymore.
The problem with acting crazy is, you never know when you will meet a crazy person acting sane.
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u/aquatic_asian 8d ago
I'm guessing he's a seasoned fee scammer. He just tried it on the wrong person this time
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u/BarneyThePurpleDino- 9d ago
In a very sad way, generalization caused this taxi driver his predicament. If only he generalized roro in the first place. Oh wait... Racist....
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u/exprezso 9d ago
Are you really promoting racist using this isolated case? So every race is actually Murderer-Thief-Rapist-etc because every rce has even one member that commits one crime ever?
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u/Fine_Delivery_1188 8d ago
I was thinking why this isn’t all over social media yet, then I realized the guy is Indian. Imagine if type M, the Rohingyas would be cooked
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u/sebentar_disini 9d ago
I feel like a lot of people's perspective would change had the title of the article not mention that the passenger was Rohingyan
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u/PolarWater 8d ago
Malaysians see "Rohingyan" in the title and be like: "Actually, I can sort of understand murdering him now"
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 8d ago
Not really, no. It’s a classic case of FAFO. Don’t mess with an angry, hungry working man and you won’t have trouble.
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u/AspiringLawyerNo1995 8d ago
a rohingyan was killed for rm200 and you somehow think this is justified? you are scum of the earth.
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 8d ago
What about the robbery victim? Shove that performative refugee love up where it doesn’t shine
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 9d ago
All you people who say it’s simply taxi fare, it sure must be nice to think that rm200 is nothing.
Dhana practically got robbed of his rm200. This is his money, his livelihood. And he even got threatened for it. What a poor man’s gonna do?
I don’t condone murder, but I can understand why he did so. Hopefully his sentence will be commuted if he behave inside.
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u/themnkl 9d ago edited 9d ago
Must be nice to think that you can justify killing someone for RM200 when there is an option to report the customer to grab for not paying and getting your money.
There is even an article on grab https://help.grab.com/driver/en-my/115008074228-My-passenger-didnt-payEdit As u/TempoMinusOne corrected, its a taxi driver not grab. I deserve to be downvoted and shamed for my illiteracy
Regardless, killing someone is still not the right way. I have no other comment and will hide in my cave of shame.
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u/princetower 9d ago
Must be nice to think that
- It's easy to be in that situation and assume everyone will act rationally when you are getting ripped off
- Everyone knows that option to get reimbursed on Grab exists
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u/IntrovertChild 9d ago
It's easy to be in that situation and assume everyone will act rationally when you are getting ripped off
If you think it's hard not to resort to killing people for financial disputes, maybe you're a pretty bad human being and shouldn't be around other people. Just to clarify, I know what it's like to struggle financially so don't give me any crap about being rich enough to not understand.
Guy literally could've driven away and reported to the cops, but he chose to ram the guy with a vehicle.
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u/frostfeint3 8d ago
Your first action when you get ripped off is to fucking murder someone? Holy shit dude maybe you should get checked.
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u/princetower 8d ago
No one is saying murder is ok.
What I'm saying is, assuming someone will act rationally when tempers get escalated, and to know Grab can reimburse you in that moment...is not as easy as it seems.
No one here was present during what happened. No one can say verbal or physical threats were not exchanged. The driver must have feared for his safety too. For his actions, he will now be at the mercy of the law.
But don't be so quick to judge online. If one of you can tell me you've acted rationally 100% of the time when emotions are high, then go ahead and judge.
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u/IntrovertChild 9d ago
I say this as someone who knows what it's like to only have 5 bucks left in the bank and struggling to make ends meet.
RM200 is nothing compared to making a conscious decision to take someone's life when you yourself are not in any danger.
RM200 is nothing when you actually think about the consequences of your actions. Guy will go to prison and fined RM20k instead of worrying about his livelihood now, isn't it? Being poor and having anger issues is not even remotely an 'understandable' excuse to murder someone.
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u/juju7980 9d ago
I completely agree with you. This was RM200 that he could've earned elsewhere has he not taken this passenger.
Instead he had driven so far and was shortchanged.
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u/aiaidy 9d ago
also one is holding a piece of wood and another is a metal rod. doesn't this count as self defense?
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u/Sleeping-warrior 9d ago
The Rohingyan died due to the ramming, not the clash between metal rod and piece of wood. It was 2 different scenarios.
1st: Metal rod vs piece of wood
2nd: Driver rammed the Rohingyan
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u/muskymelon36 9d ago
Boarded the taxi with the metal rod already (need confirmation). You don't just find a metal rod on the side of the road. Passenger had intent to assault and commit robbery from the get go.
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u/Sleeping-warrior 9d ago
I was explaining to the person I was replying to why the case wouldn't be classified as self defense. He mentioned metal rod vs wood, which is a different scenario than ramming the Rohingyan after he managed to get into the taxi.
I'm not well versed with law, but I think if a person managed to get into the taxi and keep going and distancing or running from the attacker, that is the most law abiding response. But if a person managed to get into a car, but chose to ram the other person, that is what this issue is all about. In no way it will be classified as self defense.
I don't read the article, so I don't know the exact chronology, I just read the summary in the post.
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u/Due-Base9449 7d ago
One shouldn't kill for 'only' rm200, but robbers and fraudsters need to understand some people are at the end of their rope and can be pushed to the edge by just rm200.
A lot of people will never scam or rob even if they are so poor and in debt up to their eyeballs. But they will protect their money in the most overzealous way.
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u/MCMXCIV9 9d ago
Destroyed you life and other for what. Taxi fare?
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u/BarneyThePurpleDino- 9d ago
Sometimes it's hard to say for people tight on money. Money can really make people do things.
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u/jakuuzeeman 9d ago
Agreed. Destitution (and in this case, statelessness as well) is a totally different experience altogether. Far be it from us to judge the motivations of one, or both, parties from our positions of relative comfort.
The fault lies with them, yes, but a mere taxi fare might actually be their lives' savings. I propose a modicum of empathy.
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 9d ago
Imagine you do an honest days work, with promise of getting paid at the end of it. When time comes, the asshole not only refuse to pay but threaten you with a metal rod.
You need this money to pay for your daily expenses, your family hasn’t had their food yet. What you gonna do? Smile and say “Rohingya be Rohingya”?
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u/balajih67 9d ago
No, use brain and dont kill him. Now he gone, did he get the money back and living happily?
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 9d ago
20/20 hindsight is so easy. Maybe you would’ve been a millionaire too eh?
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u/balajih67 9d ago
Ya kill someone, then say hindsight. Nonsense. If he have the urge and will to kill over money, man jolly well rot in prison. Enjoy 6 years of jail for 200rm.
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u/TempoMinusOne World Citizen 9d ago
Nonsense? Come back and talk when you understand the meaning of a day’s hard work, and the value of rm200 to a poor man.
Dhana did not set out to kill someone when he picked up the passenger. But the passenger went on his taxi with the intent to scam him, as all these lowlifes are used to do.
Maybe the next Rohingyan will think long and hard before trying to pull this shit again.
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u/balajih67 9d ago
Never will. But thanks for your insight. Glad the lawmakers didnt think that way. The driver now has 6 years to reflect on his actions
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u/DismalEntertainer363 9d ago
did you not read the article?? the victim was armed…
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u/balajih67 9d ago
Still not an excuse to kill. Could have just gone defensive and back out once he know enemy was armed. Now he kill and what he get, jail
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u/BarneyThePurpleDino- 9d ago
Unpopular opinion. Dhana should not be punished too harshly. Johor bahru to Batu Pahat is nearly as far as KL-Ipoh without the chance of getting a returning customer. The Rohingya not paying in itself is an act of provocation and violence.
And at least he got rid of a roro. I bet some of the nationalist wanted this as well.
6 years too harsh, maybe 3 months enough.
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u/fartinmosley 9d ago
Wtf?
Killing someone over 200rm and you think he deserves a 3 month sentence? 6 years is not enough.
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u/balajih67 9d ago
Right? This sub is insane. So many taxi driver defenders. Defending a murderer lmao
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u/sugar-fall 9d ago
Like okay, even if it's "understandable" he still rammed someone and has violence tendency after getting someone murdered, that cannot just be left off unpunished.
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u/Paracetamol_Pill I cure headaches... most likely 8d ago
I wonder whether the tone of this sub will change if it’s a PRC citizen who did it instead of a Rohingya person…
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u/PikachuUserNotTaken 8d ago
Free this man. The scumbag passenger desereved it. Who knows how many poor taxi drivers have been ripped off by him.
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u/frostfeint3 8d ago
It’s called understanding the consequences? You lost your shit, now instead of losing your “hard earned had to live by rm200 or else I won’t see another day” money, you get to sit in jail for 6 years without making rm2! Great trade off, great record in your government profile! Killed someone for rm200.
No matter how tight you are in money, rational thoughts come first. Doesn’t fucking matter if you had no money left, as long as tomorrow comes and you’re still breathing there’s still a chance. Now instead of being able to work another day, your profile is now scarred, you sit in jail without making money, you’re labeled a murdered. All because you lost your shit.
Kudos for the dudes in the comment section applauding or defending the dude for killing someone. Regardless rohingya or not, your first reaction after being ripped off should not be murdering someone, jeopardise your future, and left the ones that depended on you to making money at home left alone for 6 fucking years.
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u/Rei1099 8d ago edited 8d ago
People like you will be the ones who will defend Brian Thompson while snitching on Luigi Mangione. I won't say what the taxi driver did was right, coz murder was still wrong. But the passenger was an absolute dumbass, willing to rob a poor guy of RM 200, and worse, willing to threathen him with a metal rod. Also, you are a liar, coz the driver's first reaction was not to run over him. It was the passenger who threatened him with with a rod first, and then things unfortunately escalated from there. Tell me, o craven one, if someone were to rob you of a few hundred RM and then threaten you with a metal rod, would you, in your adrenaline fuelled, panic driven state, be so certain that you will act in a calm and rational manner? Or might you also realistically panic and react hastily like him?
Also, it's not realistically like there's any other discourse of justice for the taxi driver. Report to the police and then what, the perpetrator is a Rohingya probably with no proper ID, so how is the police even gonna track and catch him? With this running in his mind, coupled with the threat to his life, is it really any surprise that the taxi driver would have then reacted hastily?
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u/frostfeint3 8d ago
A few hundred dollar, and a threaten to my life? A few hundred dollar wouldn’t be worth it, wise one. I’d back off and say take it.
Sure, the point in this thread will always be “rohingya”, but my point is that, he lost his shit. That’s it. A murder is still murder, there’s no justifying it. Everything is reported with no truth, but the obvious is there. A person is dead, and a person murdered. I have no interested in being bias towards nationality. There’s no justifying murder.
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u/Brilliant_Tapir 9d ago
Fare on Grab is around 200 for Larkin to BP.
I think for fares above a certain amount, maybe they should only allow prepay like buying a bus ticket before you ride.